If you’ve been injured in an accident, both your health and your finances are in jeopardy. Serious injuries can mean large out of pocket medical expenses, lost earnings and a reduction in your ability to enjoy things you love. Georgia law provides a way to collect compensation from the responsible parties, but requires adherence to deadlines and production of admissible evidence. The best car accident attorneys in Lawrenceville advise taking these eight important steps after an accident to protect your health and your legal claim for money damages.
Step One: Call 911
It’s important to ALWAYS report any accident involving injuries or property damage to the police. NEVER fall prey to pressure to “keep the insurance companies out of it.” Failure to report an accident to the police has the potential to destroy your claim and leave you responsible for paying for your legal defense and any judgments against you. Calling 911 will also summon an ambulance to the scene to treat injured persons and transport them to the hospital.
Step Two: Investigate the Scene
While you’re waiting for the police and ambulance to arrive, do your best to take photos and videos of the scene. You should take pictures that establish the location and show the position of the vehicles on the road after the accident and include clear shots of the license plates of all vehicles and ownership information for commercial vehicles. Be sure to capture skid marks, downed stop signs, broken traffic signals and any other items that prove fault for the crash. Don’t forget to check for surveillance cameras that may have captured the accident.
Step Three: Speak to People on the Scene
In addition to speaking to the drivers and passengers in the other vehicles, it’s a good idea to scan the scene for people that may have witnessed the accident. Witnesses may have been walking down the street when the accident happened or looking out the window. Be sure to get names and numbers for witnesses so that they can be contacted later to give a statement or testify.
Step Four: Take the Ambulance to the Hospital
If you’ve been injured, taking the ambulance to the hospital is a must, even if you don’t think you’re badly hurt.. Some types of internal injuries can be asymptomatic right after an accident and failure to promptly diagnose them can cause death. In addition to protecting your health, your legal claim will also be impacted because the police will likely list you as “not injured” on their report if you turn down the trip to the emergency room.
Step Five: Avoid Scammers
While you’re at the scene or waiting to be seen at the hospital, expect to be approached by scammers posing as good samaritans. They will offer you cards from therapists and chiropractors that have paid them to solicit injured people. These places don’t tend to offer high quality care and sometimes hide retainers for unethical lawyers in their medical intake paperwork. Say “no thank you.” You’re not going to find good care or the best car accident attorney in Lawrenceville through these scammers!
Step Six: Report the Accident to Your Insurance Company
Failure to report your accident to your insurance company can void your policy, so it’s important to call them right after your injuries have been treated. You don’t need to go into great detail about how the accident happened or what injuries you sustained. It’s better to keep it simple until you see the police report and receive a diagnosis from a doctor.
Step Seven: Get Your Vehicle Out of Storage
Now that you’ve reported the accident to your insurance company, they will want to arrange to see your vehicle. If the insurance company is dragging their heels, you’ll need to get the car repaired or move it back to your driveway to avoid storage charges. Most insurance companies accept a “junk receipt” in lieu of an inspection if a vehicle is certified by a mechanic as damaged beyond repair or that it would cost much more than the value of the vehicle to repair it.
Step Eight: Call a Reputable Lawrenceville Car Accident Attorney
Now that you’ve taken action to protect your health and your property, it’s time to call a reputable Lawrenceville car accident attorney for a consultation to find out if you have a case. The best car accident attorneys in Lawrenceville will give you an honest assessment of your case without inflating its value or ignoring its flaws.
